Is the school culture so bad that kids expect to be physically injured by teachers as a matter of course, and that complaining will not get them any help and might get them in trouble?
Actually, I wonder if teachers at Hogwarts encourage students to come to them with complaints no matter how devastating the subject matter. When Harry brings his dire concerns about about Snape to Hagrid and Dumbledore, he's brushed off as talking nonsense (which he is). Does he confide in other adults? He tells the Marauders some things, but their interest in having Harry like them makes them poor guides. He sees an ally in Fake Moody, so there's an unreliable adult there. He tries to tell Snape one thing, then loses confidence in him. Of course, Harry's not hated for his failed attempts to try to tell/get information from adults.
It goes to the whole lesser status of minors in general, and the staple of youth literature, the plucky kids who have to make it on their own in the face of adult indifference or incompetence. But even if teachers don't have a chance to prevent harm, teachers will use recent examples to get their students to think about issues. After the fact, do we hear of any teacher condemning either Hermione or Marietta? Well, that's probably just poor writing -- the story line was over, except for the mirth at the continued scars, and most teachers were largely irrelevant. Just look at Charity Burbage.
I think MJ59 is right, it's the viewpoint of never tell an adult anything, whatsa matta can't take it, never betray your gang. So you get this polarized and violent secret society with a triumphalist mentality, where Hermione prevailed so she was right all along, and never mind the damaged or dead. Winner!
Compare this to Draco, who apparently tells his parents when he gets injured and is roundly sneered-at for it, then goes to an even bigger adult authority and gets a killer gang initiation. Loser.
I sometimes wonder what kind of messages these books send to young readers about right and wrong, might and cooperation. I've heard some not-so-good things from teachers, actually.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2011-10-12 08:33 pm (UTC)Actually, I wonder if teachers at Hogwarts encourage students to come to them with complaints no matter how devastating the subject matter. When Harry brings his dire concerns about about Snape to Hagrid and Dumbledore, he's brushed off as talking nonsense (which he is). Does he confide in other adults? He tells the Marauders some things, but their interest in having Harry like them makes them poor guides. He sees an ally in Fake Moody, so there's an unreliable adult there. He tries to tell Snape one thing, then loses confidence in him. Of course, Harry's not hated for his failed attempts to try to tell/get information from adults.
It goes to the whole lesser status of minors in general, and the staple of youth literature, the plucky kids who have to make it on their own in the face of adult indifference or incompetence. But even if teachers don't have a chance to prevent harm, teachers will use recent examples to get their students to think about issues. After the fact, do we hear of any teacher condemning either Hermione or Marietta? Well, that's probably just poor writing -- the story line was over, except for the mirth at the continued scars, and most teachers were largely irrelevant. Just look at Charity Burbage.
I think MJ59 is right, it's the viewpoint of never tell an adult anything, whatsa matta can't take it, never betray your gang. So you get this polarized and violent secret society with a triumphalist mentality, where Hermione prevailed so she was right all along, and never mind the damaged or dead. Winner!
Compare this to Draco, who apparently tells his parents when he gets injured and is roundly sneered-at for it, then goes to an even bigger adult authority and gets a killer gang initiation. Loser.
I sometimes wonder what kind of messages these books send to young readers about right and wrong, might and cooperation. I've heard some not-so-good things from teachers, actually.